What did Walmart set out to do?

In 2017, Walmart updated its Sustainable Chemicals Policy. EDF worked closely with Walmart to develop a groundbreaking chemicals policy in 2013, as well as the update.

The policy covers household cleaning, personal care and beauty products sold at Walmart and Sam's Club stores in the United States, and includes three major commitments:

1. Improve transparency

Customers deserve to know the ingredients in the products they buy. Walmart called on suppliers to disclose all product ingredients online and on product labels.

Walmart has committed to participate annually in the Chemical Footprint Project, a benchmarking report that enables investors to compare companies’ management of chemical risks. Walmart also publishes progress against its policy annually.

2. Eliminate chemicals of concern

In its original policy, Walmart focused on reducing eight high-priority chemicals prevalent in products. Walmart now aims to reduce all chemicals of concern in consumable products by 10 percent by 2022.

To achieve this, Walmart is calling on its suppliers to share specific goals and timelines on which chemicals they will phase out first.

3. Provide safer products

Walmart recommends its suppliers — both private and national brand — utilize product certifications that emphasize safer ingredients and are applicable to their specific product categories.

These certifications — the U.S. EPA’s Safer Choice, EWG Verified and Cradle to Cradle — credibly evaluate ingredient safety, are transparent about their approach and reward products for continuous improvement.

What has Walmart actually accomplished?

Suppliers have removed 23 million pounds of the original eight high-priority chemicals of concern from products — a 96 percent reduction.

Walmart is the one company in the world that could drive change at this level. With EDF's help, they set up tracking systems so they could measure their impact. And they did this all in less than 24 months.

On improving transparency to consumers, more than half of suppliers report they disclose product ingredients online for all of their products.

Still, much work remains to be done to fully meet the policy. Tackling all chemicals of concern in these products effectively will take time.

What's next?

For Walmart (and their suppliers), it's essential to keep reducing and eliminating the use of potentially harmful chemicals and fulfill the goals of the policy.

The company can also extend the policy to cover more types of products and more stores around the world.

Walmart's approach is working so far because it hits on every one of EDF's five pillars of leadership for companies moving toward safer chemicals. And that framework also suggests specific next steps for Walmart to maintain the momentum it has created.